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I'm no EE but I've been told that this kind of feature (like a Segway) is difficult to accomplish with the AC no-magnet motors that Tesla uses. There is talk of a hill-hold feature but from everything I've read it will use the parking brake like the equivalent systems in ICE cars. The parking brake solution would involve simply a software update.

1) There isn't such a feature yet.
2) It can be accomplished by a software update.

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That's cool. It looks like they can do this one and the guidelines in the backup camera with software updates. Whether they'll do them or not remains to be seen.

I only have one remaining issue from my test drive yesterday and that is 'top view'. I'm almost certain that that requires an extra set of cameras. I use that feature a lot in my own land yacht (it is only 1/4" wider than the Tesla -- 86.2 vs 86.4). It wouldn't be such an issue if I could manager to park well the first time. I never had such problems until my car bloated and now I have to worry about being 'right in the middle' or else my car will get dinged or people park so close I can't get my door open. I think that people are just being mean with the latter one though.

That's cool. It looks like they can do this one and the guidelines in the backup camera with software updates. Whether they'll do them or not remains to be seen.

I only have one remaining issue from my test drive yesterday and that is 'top view'. I'm almost certain that that requires an extra set of cameras. I use that feature a lot in my own land yacht (it is only 1/4" wider than the Tesla -- 86.2 vs 86.4). It wouldn't be such an issue if I could manager to park well the first time. I never had such problems until my car bloated and now I have to worry about being 'right in the middle' or else my car will get dinged or people park so close I can't get my door open. I think that people are just being mean with the latter one though.

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The rear camera has a very strong fish eye lens, so you will get used to the fact that the field of vision wraps all the way around from drivers-side blind spot to passenger-side bind spot. That is at least with the High Def version that comes with the tech package (or whatever it's called now).

I park often on a one way street, so parallel to the driver side, so I have to open my door a crack to see the curb and avoid getting rash on those pretty rims. When parking in parking lots, I pull in, stop, then flip into reverse, just to get the rear view mirrors to point down and double check my spacing on the lines on either side of the car.

You will get used to a set of tricks that work for you once you park the car in regular spots.

My BMW has this feature and it's great. Seems like it would be a very simple software tweak.

Once my MS arrives, this will definitely take some getting used to not having. But I'm pretty sure I'll manage to cope. :wink:

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I am curious as I have never heard of this "feature". If you get rear-ended, do the brakes stay on or release? If you wanted to quickly release the brake before impact, can you do that somehow without pushing the accelerator?

I am curious as I have never heard of this "feature". If you get rear-ended, do the brakes stay on or release? If you wanted to quickly release the brake before impact, can you do that somehow without pushing the accelerator?

If you wanted to quickly release the brake before impact, can you do that somehow without pushing the accelerator?

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Unless you have the presence of mind to hit the parking brake button really fast and also remember if you're supposed to push it down or pull it up to release, you're SOL. What impact condition would you want to release the break, but not hit the accelerator? I know that my first reaction upon seeing an impending collision would be to stand on the brake. I've only seen rear-endings coming though.

It's not hard to push the park button when you want to engage the parking brake. The brake automatically disengages when you put the car back into drive.

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Yes, and all the door handles extend allowing the carjacker an easy way to hop in with you. I'm actually serious about this one. There are some places I may stop that I certainly don't want my doors unlocked.

Yes, and all the door handles extend allowing the carjacker an easy way to hop in with you. I'm actually serious about this one. There are some places I may stop that I certainly don't want my doors unlocked.

I know that my first reaction upon seeing an impending collision would be to stand on the brake. I've only seen rear-endings coming though.

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My reaction upon seeing a POTENTIAL rear end collision is to check if I am clear to roll forward (or to the right of the car in front of me) and if so, to release the brake (or turn the wheel right) so the impact energy moves the car forward (or to the right, clearing a car in front) rather than crumpling the car, or sandwiching it into the car front. I wouldn't want to hit the accelerator unless I was 100% sure the impact was going to happen ( and there was no car or cross traffic in front of me).

I am curious as I have never heard of this "feature". If you get rear-ended, do the brakes stay on or release? If you wanted to quickly release the brake before impact, can you do that somehow without pushing the accelerator?

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. My VW Passat CC automatic also had this feature (even better one than the BMW 5) as well as Audi. Basically one can activate the 'stop-go' function so that the brakes automatically hold the car when you stop (for example at a traffic light) and the brakes automatically are released when you touch the accelerator. The brakes should also hold in case you are rear-ended.

My cousin had a 1950-something Studebaker that could do this. If you pressed both the brake and the clutch at the same time, you could take your foot off the brake and the clutch would hold both pedals down. As you pressed the gas and released the clutch, it would also release the brake.

That car let me come to a stop at a red light, then I could take my foot off both pedals. Car would stay still even if I was on an incline like an automatic "gentle" park brake.
It would disengage if I stepped on the gas pedal.

That would be doubly nice in the MS. Is that what we're talking about here?

That car let me come to a stop at a red light, then I could take my foot off both pedals. Car would stay still even if I was on an incline like an automatic "gentle" park brake. It would disengage if I stepped on the gas pedal.

That would be doubly nice in the MS. Is that what we're talking about here?

. My VW Passat CC automatic also had this feature (even better one than the BMW 5) as well as Audi. Basically one can activate the 'stop-go' function so that the brakes automatically hold the car when you stop (for example at a traffic light) and the brakes automatically are released when you touch the accelerator. The brakes should also hold in case you are rear-ended.

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Sounds like the exact same thing to me. Where does 'even better' come in to play? Perhaps I'm missing something subtle.

My Chevy Volt has this ability and appears to use the brakes to accomplish it. On very steep hills I can feel the brakes release as I step on the accelerator. I imagine Tesla can add this with a software update. I hope they can as this was one thing that caught me off guard when I took a test drive and was leaving a parking garage that was on a steep hill. Not a deal breaker though.

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